Thank you, Matteo! Essendon Royals farewell club great Matteo Ballan after brilliant stint at Cross Keys

Club great Matteo Ballan will depart Essendon Royals after four brilliant years at Cross Keys Reserve.

Ballan joined the Royals from Werribee City in 2021, following multiple years of playing at the highest level in Victoria for the likes of FC Bulleen Lions, Pascoe Vale, and Fawkner Blues.

The Italian immediately made an impact at the Royals, assuming the Senior Men’s club captaincy in his first full season in 2022, following the COVID-19 affected 2021 campaign, which was postponed midway through the season.

In his first year as skipper, Ballan led the side to promotion from State League One into VPL2 and continued to play an important role in the senior men’s side as both a midfielder and a centre-back in the following two years.

However, in 2023, Ballan suffered a broken leg in the final rounds of the season and made his return in Round 4 against Beaumaris. He then featured heavily in both the league and Cup campaigns, including the dramatic victory over his former side Bulleen at Cross Keys.

From everyone at Essendon Royals, we want to thank Matteo for his time, dedication and commitment throughout his four years at the club.

We wish him well with his future endeavours. His affectionate personality is always welcome at our club.